New Delhi: Water Minister Atishi on Sunday visited the Delhi Jal Board water treatment plant in Keshopur where a man fell into a 40-foot-deep borewell and said that action would be taken against the official who was responsible for this sewage treatment plant. The minister was briefed about the rescue operation by the teams deployed at the spot.
"I have ordered all borewells in Delhi to be inspected in the next 48 hours and action will be taken against the official who was responsible for this STP (sewage treatment plant)," Atishi told PTI. She said that the borewell surrounding was completely locked when the rescue teams arrived and added that the police are looking into the matter.
"The surrounding of the borewell where the person fell was completely locked. Those carrying out the rescue operations had broken the locks and entered. It wasn't a child who fell inside, it's an adult man. Police are looking into the matter now. It is not possible or even allowed for anyone to enter the area. However, the police are investigating it," she said.
The minister has also written to the chief secretary, directing him to conduct a time-bound enquiry into the incident and take strong and exemplary action against any officers found responsible. The chief secretary has also been directed to ensure that all government and private abandoned borewells are welded and sealed immediately.
The minister also sought a compliance report within 48 hours. "A deeply unfortunate incident has taken place in Delhi today where someone has fallen into an abandoned borewell in the Keshopur STP. While this borewell was on land that had been handed over to the Delhi Metro in 2020, nonetheless it is our responsibility to examine if any lapses have taken place on the part of the DJB and to ensure that no such incident takes place in the future," the letter to the chief secretary read.
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) are leading the rescue efforts. Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vichitra Veer said, "A PCR call was received at Vikaspuri police station at night informing that a person had fallen into the borewell at the Keshopur (Delhi) Jal Board office."
